Portland Nursery

If you are redesigning your backyard, one of the first things you should consider is what plants you're going to use. The focal point of many landscaping projects is the plants you choose and how you lay them out with the existing topography of your yard. Normally you will get ideas for your project by stopping by a nursery or a garden center to see what they have to offer.

Most nurseries have on hand a wide variety of plants. They stock plants that last the entire year and plants that are seasonal, they have plants that bear fruit, berry plants, houseplants, and trees. If you are a person who deals with plants or likes to garden, this is the place to be. The nursery also sells many products that you will need to help you in the garden like insect fighting materials, tools to help you dig holes, treatments that will help the soil become more fertile etc., You can even find different accessories or decor for your garden like bird baths, pottery, chairs and ideas on how to make you garden look beautiful.

There are various events held at different nurseries in the area where you can learn about gardening and different varieties of plants. There are expert gardening classes as well, where you can learn about when to plant roses and how to attend to them during the winter months. There are numerous aspects of gardening that you may be able to learn by attending these classes.

Deciding on a landscaping company can be quite daunting because there are large professional outfits, smaller local ones, as well as unstructured independent operators to choose from. Making a bad decision can not only cost you money and lead to substandard work, but can also result in more serious problems such as a workman's lien being placed against your property.

By far, the safest option is to just go with large, professional companies active in your area. These companies tend to be large and successful because they are professional and do good work. The downside is that many of these companies are also expensive. Bids from such companies will likely not be very competitive as often they have a "gentleman's agreement" among themselves to maintain price standards in the area. Three or four such bids should give you an accurate representation of the "going rate" in your area.

Many areas, especially suburban areas or small cities, also have smaller, but still professional, services that are limited to the immediate area. These are usually local landscapers that have managed to build themselves up into a real company, usually by doing a good job. These sorts of services are more likely to be very competitive, striving to both under bid the major companies as well as their local competition. The problem is that these types of companies are more likely to be extremely cost-sensitive and will often try to do the bare minimum possible to keep the client satisfied. They are also more likely to subcontract out certain jobs, which can lead to the workmen's liens mentioned before if they are unscrupulous. If you are looking at hiring this sort of company, the more bids the better as the prices are not "fixed" and depend on how each company is doing at the moment.

The third option is independent operators. These exist everywhere and usually amount to a few guys in a truck with some basic equipment and work for cash. These can be the best finds, or potentially the worst, and there is little recourse available if problems develop. On the other hand, many independent operators are putting forth a conscious effort to develop their business into an established local company, so they may be willing throw in extras and may be more responsive to the customer's needs. Independent operators tend to advertise by word of mouth, so the best way to find a good one is to find one that a friend or neighbor has used successfully. Nevertheless, if a problem does develop, your options are limited. Usually there is no paperwork at all involved in using an independent operator. Independent operators tend to give the lowest bids as they have very few overhead expenses to cover, but the number of services they can provide is also frequently limited as well.

The real question to ask when discussing how many bids to get for your landscaping job is: what kind of company do you want to deal with?

Oregon is a state with a strong agricultural industry. The western portion of the state enjoys a moist and moderate climate that stays green for much of the year. It's easy to grow things here. As a result, it is a state with over four hundred and thirty one nurseries to choose from. These include nurseries that specialize in annuals, perennials, and bulbs, in Christmas trees and greens, conifers, deciduous shrubs, broadleaf evergreens, fruit and nut trees, ground cover and climbing plants, ornamental grasses and bamboo, rootstock, shade and flowering trees, small fruits and berries, specialties and seasonal plants, tropical and foliage plants, and wetland and aquatic plants. It is the grass capital of the world, the birthplace of the marionberry, and the home of the City of Roses. It's also an excellent place to buy and grow plants of all kinds.

There are Oregon nurseries specializing in every plant imaginable. Some of the hidden treasures of the industry include these five. Dennis 7 Dees has mutliple Garden Centers in the greater Portland area, they are truly a world class flower and garden center. Alpha Nursery in Salem, is a multigenerational family business. They offer over one hundred acres of container plants that are grown using the latest and best technologies. Using techniques like pot n' pot, they are able to grow some of the hardiest and healthiest plants available in Oregon. The Oregon Pride Nursery, in Corvallis, offers high quality plants with pride, dedication, appreciation for both the customer and their work. Don Schmidt Nursery Inc. is in Boring, where it grows a glorious Japanese maple tree and JLPN, Inc in Salem specializes in propagating oak species that are difficult to propagate. These are only a few of the outstanding Oregon Nurseries available to the savvy gardener. More can be found by contacting the Oregon Association of Nurseries, which helps represent over 1,600 members of the nursery and greenhouse industry. They provide a comprehensive guide to all of the nurseries in the state, as well as several other excellent resources, on their website.